Hello everyone...... Been a while....... Been pretty sick over the past year.

I need to know if Atrial Fibrillation can be used as one of the new Heart conditions with Vietnam Veterans. I know that there are many heart conditions and the V.A. has opened the door on this just this year. I have a Veteran case with the following.... He has not ever filed a claim that I know of. His records of NSC illnesses is as follows:Atrial Fibrillation *Adjustment DisorderHypertension *Alcohol AbuseBlurred VisionHypercholesterolemia *Otitis*Morton MetatarsalgiaBenign Neoplasm of the skinSleap Apnea NOSObstructive Sleap ApneaP.T.S.D. Chronic - GAF 60Dysphagia, UnspecifiedInsomnia

This is a Vietnam Veteran. I do not have his SMR's.

Most of his conditions fallin the criteria for Compensation. The problem is that they are close to the Compensated conditions for Vietnam Veterans. I am thinking that he needs to get the doctors to go into detail about his conditions and write that they are more likely than not service connected. Although these are not service connected with Vietnam Veterans. I am between a rock and a hard place with this one. Does anyone have a hand Grenade, or a Horse Shoe?A Google search sent me here. I have searched the site before I posted my question but I could not find an updated claim.

I hope that Berta reads this. I have been away from the board for some time, but I do look in as a guest from time to time. I am always referring Veterans here. I have had a few serious medical issues over the last couple of years. Now it looks like my Brain Tumor might be back, or scar tissue building up. I am waiting for an M.R.I. with contrast to be done. The Migrains hurt bad. The first M.R.I. without contrast di show something. When I went for the M.R.I. with contrast, my Creatinine level was too high. I see my Neurologist later today. I am going to try my best to get him to get it done STAT. It seems like I always come back here with bad news. My depression keeps me away a lot because I think about all of my problems when I am here. I have a lot of old friends here. I like to keep everyone informed that I am at least alive. My head is up and I am positive. I survived brain surgery the first time after 8 hours. Nothing to it, if I need another one. Technology has come a long ways since 1996. That was right around the time that this site started. YES.. We are getting old.

Dean-good to see you here-yo have been through so much- and yet are willing to help this vet.

By Vietnam vet I assume you mean 'in country"?

The new p[resumptive for AO vets is defined as ischemic heart disease and the VA's definition of that is popsted here -will try to find it-

some thngs jump out to me here-

HBP
Blurred Vision
Hypercholesterolemia *
Dysphagia

as potentially indicative of diabetes mellitus.

Do you have his blood work records?

If you dont have them yet - look for the glucose readings, any HBIAC readings, and Tryglyceride values.

If he has diabetes Type II, the heart problems and possibly some of the other conditions could be service connected-by medical evidence as secondry to the diabetes.

With so many potential SC conditions- is he able to work?

If not does he get SSDI and if so what for?

Also look for any ECHO results and EKGs in his med recs.

What I see here (I am not a doctor) is a veteran who might well have undiagnosed diabetes, who might also have had a stroke (Transcient ischemia of brain manifested by the swallowing problems -unspecified dysphagia-, see if they did MRI on his brain at any point to rule out TIA or stroke, and so many potential ways to SC that I suggest-if he is not working- he should apply for TDIU as well as formally claim all of these conditions as an attachment to the TDIU form.

Although I am not a doctor I am very familiar with some of these conditions.They were instrumental in my FTCA award.
Since last seeing you here , they were all directly SCed to AO by the VA who found their misdignosis of DMII had caused my husband's death.

Does he have CAR, CIB, or PH on his DD 214? If so they will concede stressor for PTSD claim.

One of my husbands (Army vet) survivied brain surgery that took 11 hours and was fully awake and able to talk to me when they wheeled him into the recovery room.

He was awake for the entire procedure and said it hurt but not too much at all.

This was decades ago and he developed complex complications that caused his death.

They do wonderful things these days with brain surgery.

By staying as positive as you can, I feel you are definitely adding healthy years to your life.

The blank C & P shows what they will be looking for to rate these claims. The actual regulations for IHD have not been published yet but vets are urged to file their IHD claims.

Atrial Fibrillation is a symptom of heart disease. The cause of the AF and the type of heart disease requires a good read of all available medical records and tests and any definitive diagnosis .

I mentioned here before and on some SVR radio shows in the past that vets have to make sure they word their IHD claims properly.

If they use generic words like heart disease, palpitations, chest pains.etc -the VA will not assume these are IHD claims and deny them.

IHD should be the formal disability claimed and then with proof of boots on ground Vietnam service, the veteran should try to attach copies to the claim of any ECHO, METS reports, EKGs , evidence of atherosclerosis of heart, brain or arteries, or any entries in their med recs of an ischemic heart disease diagnosis.

After many years of dealing with the VA on a claim that was primarily based on undiagnosed and untreated heart disease (cardiomyopathy due to diabetic involvement) when my husband died-and without heart disease appearing in any single medical record he had after years of VA health care,
but evident from the tests results (and lack of test results) they had done and other medical evidence well hidden in his med recs- I realised then-and VA has not proven me wrong yet- that VA will deny any claim that is not medically specific enough to warrant an award.

IHD is the most common form of heart disease in America.
But if he claims the AF for example, the VA is not going to try to see if he means heart disease in the form of AO presumptive IHD.I dont know if they even would rate AF but I could be wrong.

I can see from your post that this vet might well have some serious IHD. If his med recs reveal that he does, he needs to claim as IHD with AF and many of the other conditions as secondary to it.

If his med recs reveal - as I suggested what records to seek- HBIAC and glucose, Trygly values-
undiagnosed but prevalent diabetes-then if he isnt being treated for DMII he needs also to file a Sec 1151 claim (and/or FTCA claim)

If the word Hyperlipidemia appears in his med recs, this is not a ratable disabilty but is one more symptom of high cholestrol that would cause atherosclerotic heart disease (another way of saying IHD)

VA is good at treating symptoms and not causes.
There are dead veterans because of that fact.

AO IHD vets, if they get a little proactive with providing VA copies of the proof of IHD by way of ECHOs, METS reports, and EKGs etc -with their claims for AO IHD -might save themselves and the VA some time on these claims.

VA has already assumed most IHD vets will get 60 %. It would help a lot to provide VA anything that supports the 60% rating right off the bat or even a higher rating (like SSA award for heart disease due to ischemic nature).